Leading the Challenge: Leader Support Modifies the Effect of Role Ambiguity on Engagement and Extra-Role Behaviors in Public Employees.

Ana Martínez-Díaz,José M Aguilar-Parra,Miguel A Mañas-Rodríguez,Pedro A Díaz-Fúnez

doi:10.3390/ijerph18168408

Ana Martínez-Díaz, José M Aguilar-Parra + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168408

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Abstract

The assumption of new challenges and services to provide, and the evolution of new technologies in public administration, give employees an important perception of ambiguity when carrying out their work. Role ambiguity has been conceptualized as one of the main impeding demands at work with negative consequences. The objective of the present study is to analyze the moderating effect of the support by the department head in the negative influence of the role ambiguity on the engagement and the extra-role performance behaviors of the employees. The hypothesis is proposed that the support of the department head will mean the transformation of role ambiguity into a challenging job demand with positive results. A total of 315 public employees with administrative staff have participated in this study. Results confirmed that the support of the leader moderates the effects of role ambiguity. The inclusion of this variable as a moderator transforms the influence of role ambiguity on the employees’ engagement into a positive one and reduces their negative effect on extra-role performance behaviors. These results reinforce the role of leader support as a protective element against job demands in public administrations. Theoretical and practical implications and future lines of research are discussed at the end of the work.

Highlights

Participants’ average scores on engagement, personal recognition, and role-playing behaviors were higher than the center point on the scale
The results have demonstrated the negative influence of role ambiguity on extra-role performance behaviors (TE = −0.660, SE = 0.067, p
This study provides a challenge for future research, since the contributions of contextual and team-level resources to the motivational processes implicit in the JD–R model have not been fully explored

Summary

Introduction

Public services have undergone a great transformation with continuous reforms of their structures, increased bureaucratization of systems and processes, the appearance of new demands such as the great threat to public health due to coronavirus (COVID-19), new services to be provided, and the need for new skills and capacities in employees for the performance of their duties [1,2]. These changes aim to adapt to new ways of working and increase efficiency, profitability, and performance in the public sector [3]. All these changes are having negative consequences on public employees since they are in charge of satisfying the growing demands of citizens in a context of constant change and with fewer resources [4,5]

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